Tournament Time!

Dan made weight Friday night!  He actually weighed in at 184.  He looked pretty tired and drained when he got home.  He recovered very quickly (with the help of some good cookin and gallons of fluids) and back up to 187 the next morning.

Saturday morning, Dan had his EGO tournament in Greenwood.  After a very early start to the day (7am) to make a huge breakfast including German pancakes, toast, bananas, coffee, and a shake, we started packing for the day.  You’re never quite sure how organized things will be, and who will compete first, so you have to be prepared for the long haul.  A few necessities for Dan include: Gi, belt, MMA shorts, rash guard, cup, mouth piece, iPod, foam roller, G2 pre-workout drinks, fruit, nuts, and lots of water.  For me: dressing in layers as you can never predict the temperature, blanket/padding for the bleachers or ground, camera, video camera, snacks, entrance fee, a huge purse to carry everyone else’s stuff all over the place.

After many confusing looks from the dogs as to why we are up and out of the house so early on a Saturday, we loaded up the Jeep and headed out of the house at 9:40.  The tournament ran very smoothly and well organized.  It started about 20 minutes late (which is normal) and had an hour long rules meeting including demonstration and a Q&A session.  First on the list was a Team competition amongst the team’s highest ranking competitors.  Dan’s team did really well and it was really neat to see some high level grappling.   Plus I got to finally meet people on Dan’s team.

It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a tournament for Dan’s MMA.  There are several parts of this life style that I’ve forgotten about:

• People have to be instructed to wear shoes into the bathroom
• Walking around shirtless/pantless/shoeless is the norm.
• The women competitors could whip most men I know.
• The kids competition is a glimpse into my future.
• The concessions only sell junk food while competitors are munching on their favorite protein bar and shake.
• Granny knows more about submissions than I do.
• After a match, everyone is good friends, sealed with a hug or handshake
• A match of wits for men on the mats is equally competitive as the beauty show amongst women on the sidelines.
• Seeing blood on someone’s clothing, a dislocated shoulder, or someone who has been chocked to sleep isn’t something to cause alarm.

Dan did really well.  I am very proud of him for just getting on the mat and competing.  It’s only been 9 months since his surgery and to hold someone in your guard for 6 minutes while they are as heavy as possible on you is quite impressive after having your abs torn apart.  Dan didn’t win (6-0), but he did stuff a take down and defended himself the whole 6 minutes with no submissions.  His opponent won 2^nd place in his division, but had previously beaten Dan’s instructor 4-0.  I’m looking forward to the next one.